About The Law Offices of SJ Spero & Associates · Boston
The Law Offices of SJ Spero & Associates is a Boston-based law firm founded in 1983 (originally as Spero & Jorgenson, P.C.) that devotes its entire practice to representing victims of professional misconduct and abuse. Led by managing partner Stanley J. Spero, the firm is nationally recognized for its pioneering work in clergy abuse, pastoral malpractice, and therapist/mental-health professional exploitation cases. Based at 175 Federal Street in downtown Boston, the firm also maintains offices in Newton and Concord, Massachusetts, and handles cases nationwide through trusted local counsel.
Founded in 1983, The Law Offices of SJ Spero & Associates (formerly Spero & Jorgenson, P.C.) has spent more than four decades exclusively protecting victims of professional misconduct and abuse. Managing Partner Stanley J. Spero — a Boston College Law School graduate (J.D. 1972), AV Preeminent-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, and 10.0-rated by AVVO — is considered a national pioneer in litigation against abusive therapists, clergy members, doctors, and other professionals. Of Counsel Linda M. Jorgenson, who practiced with Mr. Spero as a partner from 1980 to 2004, continues to support the firm's mission. The firm has represented hundreds of victims across Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas, New York, and beyond, and its attorneys have been quoted as experts in Psychiatric Times, Lawyers Weekly, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Notable results include a settlement process representing 500 victims of clergy sexual abuse against the Archdiocese of Boston totaling over $10 million in individual awards. The firm maintains offices in Boston (175 Federal Street, Suite 1425), Newton (PO Box 240, Newton, MA 02468), and Concord (30 Monument Square, Suite 145, Concord, MA 01742), and offers free confidential consultations at 617-491-1200.
- In business
- Founded 1983 (over 40 years)
- Owner
- Stanley J. Spero, Managing Partner
- Serves
- Based in Boston, MA; represents clients across the United States including Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas, and New York. Local service areas include Newton, Concord, Acton, Lowell, Cambridge, Quincy, Worcester, Springfield, Pittsfield, and Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Worcester Counties.
- Rating
- 5.0 on AVVO (14 client reviews); 5.0 on Lawyers.com (15 reviews); Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent; AVVO 10.0 Superb
About the Firm
The Law Offices of SJ Spero & Associates (formerly Spero & Jorgenson, P.C.) was founded in 1983 with a single mission: protecting the rights of victims of professional misconduct and abuse. The firm has devoted itself exclusively to this highly specialized area of law for more than four decades, representing hundreds of clients across the country. From its Boston headquarters at 175 Federal Street, the firm coordinates with trusted local counsel nationwide and provides consultative services on out-of-state cases. Attorneys at the firm are widely regarded as pioneers in the field, having handled groundbreaking cases that established lasting legal precedents for victims of abuse.
- Founded 1983 as Spero & Jorgenson, P.C.
- Former name: Spero & Jorgenson, P.C.
- Managing Partner: Stanley J. Spero
- Of Counsel: Linda M. Jorgenson
- 100% of practice devoted to litigation
Practice Areas
The firm's entire practice is devoted to victims of professional misconduct, abuse, and exploitation. Core practice areas include clergy abuse and pastoral malpractice, therapist abuse, professional malpractice, and civil rights. Attorneys pursue claims against individual professionals and the institutions that enabled the abuse through negligent hiring, retention, or supervision.
- Clergy abuse and pastoral malpractice
- Therapist abuse
- Professional malpractice law (plaintiff)
- Civil rights
- Personal injury
- Sexual abuse by professionals — plaintiff representation
- Malpractice due to exploitation by professionals
Types of Cases Handled
The firm represents victims of misconduct by virtually every category of fiduciary or professional, with particular depth in clergy, therapist, and healthcare-provider cases. They also handle abuse claims against educators and youth organization leaders, and represent members of the military who have been victims of rape.
- Failure to refer
- Negligent hiring, retention and supervision of professional care providers
- Creating multiple personalities (Dissociative Identity Disorder)
- Implanting false memories
- False or inaccurate diagnoses
- Invasions of privacy
- Conflicts of interest
- Violations of trust and loyalty
- Breach of Fiduciary Duty
- Breach of professional boundaries and ethics
- Sexual and financial exploitation
- Clergy abuse and pastoral malpractice
- Therapist abuse
- Military sexual assault (rape) representation
- Abuse by teachers, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts leaders, and other educators
Professionals Held Accountable
The firm has experience representing victims in cases involving all categories of professionals who abuse positions of trust — including clergy, mental health practitioners, physicians, educators, and attorneys.
- Lawyers
- Doctors
- Pastoral counselors
- Pastors and clergy members
- Social workers
- Hypnotherapists
- Psychotherapists, psychologists and psychiatrists
- Mental health professionals
- Educators (teachers, education aides)
- Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts leaders
Clergy Abuse & Pastoral Malpractice
Clergy abuse is one of the firm's signature practice areas. Attorneys understand the devastating lifelong consequences — damaged self-esteem, loss of faith, and difficulty sustaining trusting relationships — that follow when priests, pastors, rabbis, or imams betray their spiritual authority. The firm's strategy is designed to surface institutional negligence and prevent abusers from being quietly transferred to another parish or location. The firm has dedicated decades to this work, having represented hundreds of clergy abuse victims across the country, both children and adults.
- Sexual abuse of children and adults
- Financial exploitation by clergy
- Sexual exploitation of a child
- Negligent hiring and retention of clergy
- Fraudulent or negligent concealment
- Failure to adequately supervise clergy
- Landmark cases against the Archdiocese of Boston (500 victims, settlements exceeding $10 million total)
Therapist & Mental Health Professional Abuse
Mental health professionals hold profound fiduciary power over vulnerable patients. The firm is nationally recognized for its work against therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, hypnotherapists, and counselors who exploit that trust. Attorneys have published extensively on clinician-patient sexual misconduct and have served as speakers and panel members at Harvard Medical School and other leading institutions.
- Sexual exploitation by therapists
- False or negligent diagnoses
- Implanted false memories
- iatrogenic creation of Dissociative Identity Disorder
- Breach of fiduciary duty by mental health professionals
- Institutional liability for clinician misconduct
Attorney: Stanley J. Spero
Stanley J. Spero is the Managing Partner of SJ Spero & Associates and Of Counsel to the Law Offices of Carmen L. Durso and Hach & Rose, LLP. A graduate of Boston College Law School (J.D. 1972) and Boston University (B.S. Business Administration, 1968), Mr. Spero has been admitted to the Massachusetts Bar since 1973, the U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts since 1974, and the U.S. Supreme Court since 1976. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and 10.0 Superb by AVVO, was named a Super Lawyer in 2018, and has been published in Psychiatric Times, Lawyers Weekly, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. He is the President and Director of AdvocateWeb, a nonprofit supporting victims of professional exploitation, and serves pro bono with the Cambridgeport Problem Center.
- Areas of practice: Civil Rights, Personal Injury, Clergy Abuse, Sexual Abuse — Plaintiff, Professional Malpractice Law, Therapist and Clergy Abuse, Malpractice Due to Exploitation by Professionals
- Litigation: 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
- Civil Mediation Certification
- Member: Massachusetts Bar Association
- Locations: Boston, Newton, and Concord, MA
Attorney: Linda M. Jorgenson (Of Counsel)
Linda M. Jorgenson is Of Counsel to SJ Spero & Associates and was a partner in the original Spero & Jorgenson, P.C. from 1980 to 2004. She earned her J.D. from the University of Iowa Law School (1969), an M.A. in Industrial Relations from the University of Iowa (1966), and a B.B.A. with double major from the University of Iowa (1964). She is admitted to the Iowa Bar (1969), the Massachusetts Bar (1971), and the Federal Bar (1971), and has been a member of the American Bar Association since 1969. Her prior experience includes service as a Staff Attorney at the Boston Legal Aid Society (1971–73) and research positions at the Institute of Public Affairs and University of Iowa Law School.
- Co-Chair of the Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education programs on clinician-patient sexual misconduct (1990)
- Speaker at The New Hampshire Psychological Organization (1990)
- Panel member at University of Massachusetts, Amherst (1990)
Office Locations
The firm maintains three Massachusetts offices and represents clients nationwide through local counsel partnerships.
- Boston Office — 175 Federal Street, Suite 1425, Boston, MA 02110 — Phone: 617-491-1200
- Newton Office — PO Box 240, Newton, MA 02468
- Concord Office — 30 Monument Square, Suite 145, Concord, MA 01742 — Phone: 617-491-1200 / Fax: 978-631-0795
Service Area & Recognition
The firm's Boston-based attorneys handle professional misconduct cases across the country, working with trusted local counsel and serving as consultants in out-of-state matters. They have represented clients in Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas, and New York, with local service spanning Greater Boston and much of Massachusetts.
- States served: Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas, New York
- Local Massachusetts cities: Newton, Concord, Acton, Lowell, Cambridge, Quincy, Worcester, Springfield, Pittsfield
- Counties served: Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Worcester
- Recognition: Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent; AVVO 10.0 Superb; Super Lawyers 2018; Lawyers.com 5.0 (15 reviews); AVVO 5.0 (14 reviews); AVVO Client's Choice Award (2021)
Free Consultation & Contact
The firm offers free confidential consultations to discuss an individual's situation with an experienced attorney in a safe and confidential environment. Phone 617-491-1200 is the central line for all three offices (Boston, Newton, Concord). Fax: 978-631-0795.
- Free confidential consultation
- Phone: 617-491-1200
- Fax: 978-631-0795
- Secure email contact available via attorney profile pages